


All The World Is Made Of Faith, And Trust, And Pixie Dust

by FairytalePrincess



Series: For Villains Get Their Happy Ending, Too [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Neverland (Once Upon a Time), Neverland A/U, Soulmates, background canon relationships, happy endings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:42:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26684620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairytalePrincess/pseuds/FairytalePrincess
Summary: Neverland Alternate UniverseRegina rescues more than her own son from Neverland and meets Robin
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood
Series: For Villains Get Their Happy Ending, Too [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937110
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	All The World Is Made Of Faith, And Trust, And Pixie Dust

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a big One-shot but the longer I was writing the more I realized this was not done in the words I had in mind and so I took a good amount of time to find a way to split this. 
> 
> I managed to finally find a place to split this up and so I decided to upload part 1 for you already. 
> 
> For now, this is rated T but there will be a bump in rating in Chapter 2, so be warned.
> 
> The title is a borrowed quote from Peter Pan by JM Barrie
> 
> Enjoy and leave me some thoughts :)
> 
> Also, English is not my first language and all mistakes are mine and mine alone, whereas sadly, the characters do not belong to me

Chapter I

She finds the boy on the first day. It's hard telling time over here, especially when it seems to not cooperate with the watch on her wrist, but it hadn't been dark yet.

No, she concedes, they haven't slept yet, because as much as she knows about living in a castle in the forest and about modern technology, just as little does she know about Neverland. It's a magical island and they are surrounded by trees and bushes and rocks for as far as they can see and beyond. And maybe she's imagining the thing about time and her watch - maybe it's the monotony of their surroundings that simply makes her lose track of time - that doesn't mean there necessarily has to be actual night any time. 

She's been musing exactly those thoughts, trying to blend out that there are people with her determined to be better suited for finding her son when she hears the rustling of nearby bushes. Then, an almost inaudible gasp and the scrambling of little feet over lose forest ground, as whoever had been hiding here realized they'd given away their presence. A dull thumb follows and whatever sense of self-preservation their secret onlooker had vanishes in a loud cry and a series of small but distinct sobs. 

Curiosity spiked, Regina tells the others to wait, slowly and carefully steps around the low bush blocking her sight, and comes face to face with a tear-streaked face and a mop of dark curls. She ignores Mary Margaret's warning, Gold's annoyed outlet of breath, Emma's impatient foot-tapping (as if she needed the reminder - Henry has been her son for the last 11 years), and approaches the little boy. 

His eyes widen in fear at the strangers and he's frantically tugging at the foot caught in the underbrush. Regina stops, crouches down to be eye level with him, and holds out her hands in a non-threatening gesture. She smiles, which he tentatively returns. Until...

"Regina" The child is trying to scramble back a few inches, hindered by his trapped leg. There are more tears after that. 

"What?" She levels Emma with an icy glare, then turns back around to the boy again. "It's okay. I won't hurt you" She takes a careful step forward and the boy, though still frightened, doesn't try to back away further. 

"What are you doing?" It's clear Emma doesn't approve, but quite frankly, Regina doesn't care. Especially since they wouldn't be here if not for Emma. 

"He's just a hurt and frightened child" For the boy's sake, she tries to keep as much annoyance out of her voice as possible. 

"Yea, and what if he's not?" She ignores her completely this time. They are on an island full of 'hurt' and 'frightened' children, who are only too eager to let them walk into a trap, Regina is aware of that. But, and she can't explain it, she knows this boy isn't one of them. 

"You want some help?" She motions to his still trapped leg and only when he gives a shy nod does she reach for the boy. 

She makes quick work of freeing him from the tree root he seems to have gotten tangled up in, careful still not to hurt him any more. When he's free he tries to move away again, not really afraid anymore, but still wary of the newcomers. Another painful cry stops all his movements though. 

Regina's heart breaks at the obvious anguish on the boy's face and she's about to reach for him again, thinks better of it, and asks softly, "Can I take a look?" 

For a second maybe, he eyes her warily, squints behind her to where Emma is still standing, now surrounded by Mary Margaret, David, Hook and Gold. Then he nods once more, closes his watery eyes and holds his breath in anticipation of the pain he's sure to follow. 

Only that there is none.

He feels nothing but a slow warmth spreading through his foot, starting at his ankle, tingling all the way into his toes. He opens his eyes, almost smiles at the welcome sensation until his face falls onto the one of his savior. The woman's features are twisted in pain and when his leg finally stops hurting, it does so with a painful scream and the obvious crack of broken bones. He's on his feet in an instant, forgetting that he had been frightened of the strangers just moments ago, and falls to his knees at her side. And so do four of her five companions. 

"What the hell did you do?" Mary Margaret demands, reaching down towards a distinctly twisted ankle. The look on Regina's face stops her, though. 

"His...leg...was...broken..." Regina breathes through waves of pain spreading from a fresh, clean cut.

"And now so is yours" Emma rolls her eyes in annoyance. But she can't hide the trace of concern lacing her voice. "Gold...", she summons him over to help, but when there is no reply, she turns "Oh, you gotta be kidding me" she grits out under her breath, when the place he'd stood is empty. 

"Worry about him later" Regina turns the blonde's attention back onto herself. She smiles when a little hand slips into hers and he mutters an almost silent thanks. "For him, I'd have needed a potion, but I can heal my own body with my magic"

"Healing powers or not, I still don't see where you thought it was a good idea to break your own ankle in the middle of nowhere." David gives her one of those looks she'll come to hate so much. "How'd you manage that anyway?"

"Magic, Charming. Try to keep up" But it doesn't bite as much as she would have liked. 

"It's also already working it seems" Mary Margaret rolls her eyes, but is glad nonetheless, that Regina seems to actually be able to do what she claimed. 

The bone sets with another audible crack, but the accompanying cry is almost silent, muffled in a head of dark curls that suddenly cloud her vision when tiny arms wrap around her neck. 

"I'm sorry" he mumbles into her hair and Regina takes a chance and wraps her own arms around him for a moment. 

"There's nothing to be sorry for" Then she gently pushes him far enough away to turn him around in her lap, holds him by the waist, chin resting on his shoulder. "See, I'm all better already" She wriggles her foot in proof and the boy gives her a sly smile, showing off a set of dimples Regina can't help but fall in love with. 

Yes, she's been a great mother to Henry, despite everything she's done the last decades, but still, the sight before them is a stunning one. Here she is, the Evil Queen, the woman who has caused them so much pain and almost cost them all their happy ending, comforting and entertaining a little boy she doesn't even know. It startles them enough that even Emma, so impatient to find her son only moments ago, forgets that they should move.

It's only when the pair in front of them vanishes in a cloud of purple smoke and reappears standing, the boy giggling with delight by now a few paces behind them, that the four of them get to their feet. The brief, non-verbal, discussion is ended by Regina's stern glare and then she hoists the still laughing boy more firmly onto her hips and turns. 

#

The boy clues himself to Regina as if he'd await mortal peril should he let go for even just a second. Mary Margaret had come around first to find, that the little boy might actually just be that and had offered to take him for a while, but he'd vehemently refused. He wasn't necessarily afraid anymore, he's even come to curiously inspect the metal hook on the Captain's hand, but Regina had broken her own leg just to help him out of his own pain. It's her he trusts the most of his newfound companions. 

He hadn't really spoken yet, though. Over the last few hours, there'd been the occasional observation (Hook's missing hand, Emma's magic), but mostly they were whispered into Regina's ear. And no amount of gently prodding had as of yet made him tell her his name or how he ended up here. Not to mention how long he's been hiding in bushes. 

Regina tells him about Henry, why they're here, trying to coax anything out off him but it's to no avail. He won't tell her where he came from and who is waiting for him back home.

"It's dark soon" he says out loud for the first time and so that answers at least that question. 

They walk on for only a short while after that, looking for a good place to camp for the night. Regina gets the boy to actually let go of her then, but as soon as she's spread out her bedroll and collapsed onto it for a brief pause before putting in some work for their camp, he plops down beside her and curiously peeks down at her ankle. 

"Does it still hurt?" He catches himself just shy of reaching for it. 

Regina stifles a laugh and nods encouragingly. "Go ahead" And he does, tentatively reaching out a lone finger, only barely touching her with a fingertip. Encouraged by the lack of pain Regina seems to feel, he prods the limb experimentally, before spreading his whole hand over it. 

"Wow" He's genuinely amazed and not the least bit afraid of what she can do. 

It's a refreshing change, she thinks, for someone to not fear he magic - fear her. It's not the sole reason she feels so strongly drawn to the boy, but it certainly helps. After everything - after all the things she did - she can't really blame anyone for not trusting her. Hell, for not liking her. And she knows, that no amount of making up for her actions will guarantee her being liked and trusted by everyone she's wronged in the past. But a little boy so trusting and forthcoming warms her heart. Even if it's probably only because he doesn't know who she is. 

"Does yours still hurt?" It shouldn't - there's nothing that could hurt and he is quick to confirm that with a shake of his head. 

"No, see" He jumps up suddenly and into her lap and Regina can't help the laugh that escapes her. She ignores the others' glances and whispers. 

"You want to tell me your name now, honey?" She brushes away some of his curls and situates him more comfortably in her lap. 

"Roland" He answers simply, smiling brightly and innocently up at Regina. 

"And Roland, do you also want to tell me how you got here?" She doesn't really think so, this has been more than he's said ever since she found him. But...

"I am in the forest with Papa and all others and a sh-shadow come and take me. We fly a long time and then I fight and fall. I hide, many bad here" 

"yea? You don't have to worry about them anymore. I will protect you now"

"Promise?" Regina only engulfs him in a tight hug. 

"I will also get you back to your parents" Even though, right now, she has no idea how. 

"You find Papa?" Roland exclaims excitedly.

"Yes, I will" 

"I sleep with you tonight?" Hopeful eyes settle on her. 

"I wouldn't let you go anywhere else even if you wanted to" She replies with a tap on his nose, making him giggle. "But first, we need to make a campfire and something to eat. Can you help me with that?"

He's up and pulling her behind him in a second.

#

Roland sleeps with Regina for the next three nights. They're camped somewhere else every one of those, making their journey towards where they hope they will find Henry and then leave this dreadful place.

He walks on his own most of the time now, still sticking close to Regina, but he gradually started trusting the rest of his rescuers. There's been an incredibly interesting game of Question and Non-answers with Hook about the whereabouts of his missing hand, which the pirate hadn't found nearly as amusing as the rest of them. Emma had come to his rescue then, enlisting him in setting up camp for the night.

Regina had taken Roland to gather firewood. He had told her about living in the forest with his Papa and the group of people he considers family and so she's let him drag her around the woods in search of the perfect branches. She could tell he's loving the attention and the fact that he is the one helping her this time around.

They'd made it a habit after that.

When they settle in to rest on the fourth night, Regina has a suspicion she even knows who Roland's father is and where he came from. She's never met or seen the man, could not pick him out under a hundred others. But the boy's stories paint a pretty good picture of a man who used to be plastered on wanted posters throughout the forest right next to her step-daughter's.

It's a good thing, Mary Margaret tells her when she shares her suspicions during dinner. Regina isn't so sure about that. She has promised to reunite Roland with his father and, if she's right, the man is in the only place she has no idea of how to get back to. Still, it's a promise she intents to keep. She doesn't know the boy for more than three days, but he's wormed himself as deep into her heart as only Henry before him ever managed. This should frighten her, she knows, after all, he has a family of his own, in a realm she has neither access to nor would she want to go back. There's inevitable heartbreak when she eventually finds his father. It doesn't stop her from loving the boy with all her being. And by the way he has taken to her, the feeling seems to be mutual. 

It's that night, cuddled into her chest, mesmerized by the little balls of fire Regina lets dance across hers palms just for entertainment purposes, that he confirms it. 

"We don't find Papa" he starts, turning his face to look up at her. "Can I stay with you forever?" And damn, if that question didn't bring tears to her eyes. 

"Of course" She answers around the lump in her throat. There is no way he wouldn't, should it come to that. "But I promised to find your Papa and I'll have you know, I don't break my promises, young man" She buries her face in his locks for a moment to compose herself. 

"Then you can stay with me and Papa" She has to actually laugh at his hopeful expression, gently brushing a few curls out of his eyes. 

"I don't think your Mama would like that very much"

He hasn't talked about a mother in all their conversations and Regina is not fishing for information about the existence of the woman, she really isn't, but the fact that he never mentioned her doesn't mean the woman is not around. When he tells her he doesn't have a mother, she wraps his little frame tighter in her arms and tells him more about Henry and, as long as one parent loves you enough for ten, you don't necessarily need a second. When he falls asleep, it's with his head in the crook of her neck and a smile on his face. 

#

They are attacked that night by an army of boys with bows and arrows and makeshift weapons and all they want, apparently, is Roland. Suddenly, no one is wary about the added burden of a four-year-old, as they gather around Regina and the boy in a semi-circle of protection.

They put up a good fight and they have magic, which is more than they can say about their attackers, but it does not really make up for the fact that they are, first, outnumbered and, second, surrounded.

David moves behind her, effectively enclosing Regina and Roland in a complete circle and, when the boy notices it, he scrambles almost monkey-like from her chest onto her back and clings on for dear life. It frees Regina's second hand and, for a moment it seems like it gives them just the advantage they need - four hands sending balls of fire into the attacking army's midst. When the first arrow zips barely past her head, missing Roland by mere millimeters, Regina realizes that their advantage isn't really one at all.

"Emma..." she calls out, not even able to finish her thought, because her attention is needed elsewhere, redirecting the arrow heading straight for Mary Margaret. She gets an appreciative nod in thanks, because really, there is no time for any heartfelt words, and then Emma seems to have registered that she's been spoken to.

"Go" She shouts after watching another arrow almost take off Roland's head. "We'll find you"

And she should not doubt that they actually will, not even after all the bad history between her and any of them, would they just leave her here, but she can't help it. One hand still producing fireballs, she conjures up a sparkling and pulsating pebble in the other. Reaching for the first of her companions she can reach, she shoves the object deep into the front pocket of some pants. If Hook is surprised by her hand on him, he doesn't show it in more than a passing glance.

"Do not break this until you're save" The instruction is accompanied by the sternest glare she is able to fix at him in the current circumstances. She reaches behind her and pulls Roland safely back to her chest where she has a better hold on him.

Then they vanish in a cloud of her significant purple smoke.

#

She has no idea where they are.

Not that she would have much of that anyway, no matter in which manner they'd ended up here (after all, she's never been to Neverland), but right now she hopes the word 'safety' had been enough to transport them to such.

As good as she is with magic, she can't just poof herself out off and to wherever she likes. She needs an actual destination in mind, however vague doesn't matter, as long as it's more than a simple away. But vague or not, she's never tried it with only that sole word or in a place where she has no idea if and where a safe place is even possible.

They seem to be hidden pretty well, looking around a dense part of the forest, packed with high trees and flowering bushes, and yes, it would be the perfect place to wait out the others. If she would explicitly trust them; trust them to want and then come find them. Find her. And since she doesn't, she needs to move herself and Roland to a place where she can see through and above the foliage of trees in search of some more of her purple smoke.

She can track the orb in Hook's pocket no matter what (hell, she could even try it with any of their names), but the only way to be sure that it is safe to come back, or to teleport to wherever they may have relocated, is if she trusts them at least far enough for one of them to send the signal.

First, though, she pries Roland's face out off her chest, checking him over. There had been a few close calls. "Are you alright?"

"Yes" Regina breathes a sigh of relief when he nods and gives her a smile as in proof, showing off his cute dimples.

"You're not hurt?" Regina checks him over nonetheless, her free hand skimming over his arms and torso, making him giggle instead of wince. She believes him only when she's done assessing him herself. "Okay, so, we're going to walk a bit further and then we wait for a sign from our camp" She lets him decide if he wants to walk on his own (though she would carry him to the ends of every last realm), but he wraps his little legs tighter around her waist and that settles that. 

She walks them only a few more minutes, five at the most, before she settles down in the seclusion of an oak tree. Roland turns, his back resting comfortably against her chest while he's playing with the band of her wristwatch. 

"Thank you for saving me" He sounds just that tad bit surprised that she did not give him over to Peter Pan and his Lost Boys that it gnaws at her heartstrings. She gets it though, to some extent.

She isn't here for him, has her own mission, her own reason for being on this island and she is under no obligation to care for a stray she found hiding in the bushes. Maybe they would have a better chance of finding Henry faster without the burden of bringing him along.

But that's just it. Regina doesn't consider him a burden at all and, by the way the others had protected him, she's sure they don't either. At least not anymore. It's not just because she made him a promise she may or may not be able to actually keep. But she loves that little boy as much as she does her own son and if that means fighting off an army of crazy children intent on harming him, then that's what it is. It's what she'd do for Henry. 

"I told you I'd protect you, didn't I?" She kisses the top of his curly head. "It's what you do for the people you love"It slips out without her permission, but when she sees the wide eyes and the radiant smile he shoots at her over his shoulder, she can't find it in her to be sorry about it. 

"What we looking for?" He asks after a moment, cuddling back against her chest.

"Purple smoke" She wraps her arms securely around his waist.

"Like your magic" The utter awe in his voice makes it hard to discern if it's supposed to be a question or an observation.

"Exactly like that" A nod.

And then they settle in to wait.

#

She estimates it to be about an hour when Roland's sleepy eyes pop open in excitement and he points to a spot just a way to their right. Regina has seen it, too, already, but she indulges the boy when he takes her face softly into both of his little hands and turns to look in the direction he's been pointing at just a minute ago. So they've probably relocated and that pretty damn close to where the two of them had been hiding out. Of course, since shes has no actual idea of how far they have teleported away from the earlier fight, so Regina could be utterly wrong and the others are still at the same campsite.

That makes her wonder what had taken them so long to call the two of them back to safety. The attack sure had to be over relatively soon after she's magicked herself and Roland out off there, after all, there had been nothing Pan wanted anymore. Did they have a heated discussion about whether or not to call them? But no, if so, and given the identities of every single one of the people involved in that discussion, there's no way she would be staring at her smoke signal indicating their location. Did something else happen? And gods, she really, really wishes it didn't.

She sticks with the belief that Emma, Mary Margaret, David and Hook had spent the last probable hour in search of a new place to make camp and settle down for the remainder of the night. And when she stands up, holds onto Roland, vanishes and reappears, she breathes a relieved sight, because this is definitively not the place she and Roland had poofed out off. So maybe, she needs to make amends with herself and start trusting people - those people - more.

It takes her a moment to realize that there are not only just four people waiting for them. Some time while she’s been hiding with Roland, their little group has grown by two members and she’s just about to comment on that when she recognizes Neal. That, however, brings only more questions instead of answering any.

The last she knew about the guy was him falling through a portal to god knows where and while it is probable that he could have ended up here, Regina doesn’t really think so. And yes, she knows why he’s here, that still leaves the question on how he managed it. As far as she’s aware there are no more magic beans or otherwise ransom open portals to Neverland. If there were, she sure as hell would not have spent her journey here on a smelly and dingy ship.

She acknowledges his presence with a small nod and even manages a half-smile - after all, she is trying - and then she’s more interested in the stranger standing beside him. He’s looking at her with a mixture of awe and wonder and warmth and gratitude and about a hundred more emotions she can’t or won’t identify. And she can’t look away, even if she wanted to, if her life depended on it. She’s drawn in by a pair of incredible blue eyes and she finds the half-smile she’s managed for Neal, form into a full and genuine one almost without her consent.

“Regina, this is…”

“Papa!” Sleepy Roland decides on exactly that moment to pry his face out off Regina’s neck and take in his surroundings with heavy, sleep-laden eyes. Despite his clear fatigue, the boy is excited, and why wouldn’t he? Regina, after all, has just fulfilled her promise of finding his father.

“Roland, my boy” The man says with a heavily accented voice and Regina almost stops breathing. She’d chastise herself for it later because really, she’s not sixteen anymore and definitively not attracted to him, but at the moment, she just can’t help it. (Because it’s a lie - of course, she’s attracted to him even if she’s not ready to admit it yet.)

Then it sinks in who he is and her heart sinks and the smile falters just enough that he notices but gratefully doesn’t comment on it. This is the moment she’s been dreading for the last days and while she knows it’s wrong there have been moments where she almost hoped they wouldn’t find the man. She hands over an almost sleeping toddler, still excited and awake enough to latch onto his father in a vice-like grip, tries to retreat and let them have this moment before her heart breaks in front of all these people. And then he doesn’t let go of her hand, cradles it to his chest while cuddling into his father’s, on the verge of sleep again. Her heart explodes for a completely different reason and it has only partly to do with the boy.

“Regina protect me” Is the last thing Roland mumbles into his father’s neck before finally succumbing to sleep.

“Thank you, Your Majesty” The man whispers definitively only for the sake of the sleeping child between them, and it feels wrong - this easy intimacy with a man she knows all of five minutes - just as much as it feels right.

“So you know who I am” And he’s still here talking to her, letting his son be close to her.

“Your reputation precedes you, milady” She tries pulling away again. Obviously he has only been indulging his son, who’s never known her during her reign as the Evil Queen, and now that Roland is fast asleep the charade is over. There’s no need to be civil towards her anymore. It’s not like she doesn’t get it, though.

He surprises her then by shifting Roland ever so slightly that he can grab onto her retreating hand, without dropping his son. “Please, my apologies” He’s not really holding her, it’s a light touch indicating she doesn’t need to let go, that he doesn’t want her to let go. “It wasn’t meant to be an insult”

“Excuse me for not immediately believing that” She stays where she is though. She seriously considers giving trusting people a chance.

“Oh but you should” The smile he gives at her raised eyebrow involuntarily makes her answer with one of her own. “There might have been some differences in our past, but I’ve seen you with my son just now and they’ve told me everything you did to ensure his safety. “He pauses for a moment, makes sure he has her full attention. “I can’t possibly know if you are trying to be, or already are a different, better, person you were back in the Enchanted Forest, but from what I can see, it’s still working. And that’s all that matters”

There are actual tears burning at her eyes and she's doing her very best not to let them spill. She also decides, for tonight, not to question what he's said. So she settles on a quiet "Thank you" and she thinks he can't possibly know how much those words mean to her. 

"Robin" He provides after another minute of comfortable silence. 

"Regina" After that speech, she really doesn't want him to address her as anything other than the woman she tries to be - just simply Regina. 

Roland shifts in Robin's arms after that and suddenly they remember that they are not alone, but as much as she thinks she would be, Regina isn't even embarrassed by what just happened when she catches Mary Margaret's sly smirk. She wouldn't be Regina though if she didn't at least pretend to be annoyed by it.

#

She's sitting on a log around the campfire, Roland's legs draped over her lap while his head is resting comfortably in his father's, way closer to the man than should be appropriate given the circumstances.

Those being that she knows him for all of thirty minutes and she's not come to Neverland to flirt and cozy up to a perfect stranger. Still, here she is, thigh pressed firmly to his, shoulders touching, speaking in hushed whispers (all of that for the comfort-ability of the child sprawled across them, of course) and smiling more than she probably has in the last years combined. Just as Roland had before, his father had needed all of five minutes to find his way into her heart and managed to secure himself a fixed place there. 

And it's not the fact that he's handsome (though that certainly does help), but it's because he sees her for her. They'd never had the pleasure (or displeasure) to meet face to face in the past but they'd crossed paths of sorts nonetheless and, unless maybe you consider being a wanted criminal a good thing, their shared past isn't a great one either. That doesn't stop him from looking at their present and seeing the woman she is (tries to be anyway) now. He sees her good sides, the one she doesn't necessarily thinks she has, without the underlying look that tells her, for all her efforts, he still can't quite forgive her for her past wrong-doings.

It's not her goal to leave this island with a relationship and an extended family. Hell, she doesn't even know, if they would even head towards the same place, the same realm when they leave here. Still, she appreciates the fresh outlook on her life and the possible friendship maintaining for at least as long as they are here.

Roland had woken exactly once since falling asleep in his father's arms, just mere seconds after he's broken their spell half an hour ago, whining when Regina had finally withdrawn her hand so they could move. And that's really the reason she is on her current situation in the first place. No sooner were they situated around the sparkling fire and joined the others, had Roland curled up across both their laps and that was that.

Emma breaks them out off their hushed conversation a minute later "Pan said he'd trade Henry for Roland" 

"No" Robin's mouth opens in protest, but it's Regina who speaks first. She refuses to interpret the look in his eyes when he turns to her.

They all know it's a lie, Pan is never giving them one child for the other, and if he would, not even Emma is heartless enough to put someone's child in danger to save her own. The sharp bite of Regina's words shocks her nonetheless.

"We will not even entertain that thought" Regina pretends it's the most normal thing when Robin places his hand over the one she has splayed over Roland's back protectively.

"Of course we're not" David assures. He's talking primarily to Robin but it soothes Regina just the same. "We thought it important to share that information though" Mary Margaret is half asleep against his shoulder and he wraps his arm around her in warmth and drops his voice another few notches.

"Then what are we going to do?" Robin's mission here is done, he came to find his son and he did that already. But instead of looking for a fast way off this island, he's willing to put his life in possible danger to safe Henry. There's no amount of anything she can't ever so for him that would adequately express her gratitude. The brief squeeze to their joined hands seems to indicate that he knows that, too and that it's okay.

"We march in there magic, arrows, swords at the ready and take back what's ours" It's the first actually constructive and not highly sarcastic or flirtatious comment coming from Hook since they landed here. There's only one problem. 

"How do we do that? We can't even find where they are" Mary Margaret mumbles into her husband's shoulder and it's clear that they all could use another hour or two of sleep. 

Regina clears her throat a little uncomfortably and when all attention is on her she turns her hand under Robin's and holds onto him just for support. The others won't like what she has to say. "I was really hoping it wouldn't come to this, but I may have a solution for that" She visibly winces at the looks she receives from all around the fire except the man next to her. 

There's a heated discussion after that where the only people who seem to be on her side are Robin and, surprisingly, Neal. That, however, makes Emma only more furious and when she starts accusing Regina of not caring for their son as much as she claims to be, Robin ends the argument for the night. He takes Roland into his arms completely, gets up, and softly pulls Regina with them. She goes only a bit reluctantly because she wants to stay and stand her ground against those baseless accusations. But she's too tired to fight and she doesn't want to wake Roland.

Also, right now, she has at least one friend and she's afraid what will happen if Robin sees her snap right now. So she lets him lead her a few steps away, transports a sleeping child into her arms. "Wait here" He comes back with her unused bedroll and spreads it under the big tree behind her. Then they settle down, Roland draped over their laps again. 

"Thank you" She says after a minute of silence in which she's tried to ignore the whispers coming from over by the campfire. "And for helping find my son"

"Thank you, for not sacrificing mine" She smooths a hand over Roland's curly head without thinking about it and answers Robin's smile with one of her own.

They sit there for another few minutes in comfortable silence, the only sounds being Roland's soft breathing, when he notices the glances Regina is sparing at the rest of their group. And so he won't pry but damn would he like to know the story behind the two women sharing a son. 

"So, you and Emma..." He's not sure how to finish that, but Regina helps him along.

"Are at odds ever since Henry brought her to Storybrooke. That's the town I cursed us all to" She adds in a sheepish whisper, avoiding his gaze. He grabs onto her hand again, making sure she knows it's okay, that he won't hate her.

And then she tells him the whole story. 

It might be because she finds she really likes him (yes, like that) and she just wants him to know. It might be because she never had anyone she could be so open with, without them turning from her when she reaches the truly evil things she's done. Even her own son had resorted to seeking out his birth mother to end Regina's curse and didn't want anything to do with her for as long as he didn't trust her to be wanting to be good and better. 

But something within him makes her trust him implicitly. So she talks about Daniel and her mother and that fateful day that made her hate a six-year-old so much that she's cursed a whole kingdom into another realm to ensure she won't ever get what Regina's been denied because of her. Robin only encourages her to go on, assures her he understands (why she did it, not necessarily what she did) and for the first time in a very long time, Regina doesn't feel alone and misunderstood.

He tells her about their life in the forest then, about Marian and raising Roland without a mother but a band of fellow thieves that are as close as any family bound by blood. After, she falls asleep with her head on his shoulder to the bedtime story he loves to tell his son all the time.

#

It takes an awful lot to convince Tinkerbell to help and it's only partly to do with her and Regina's rocky past. Neither of them is willing to share what had actually happened between them. In the end, she agrees for the sake of rescuing an innocent child, and for the first time Regina is glad for Emma and Neal.

There still is a lot of doing nothing as they hash out the perfect plan and while it is incredibly frustrating the longer it goes on they do at least feel like they are doing something. Regina spends most of that time with a four-year-old in her arms or hanging onto her hand when he's in his father's arms.

Roland had told them, finally, that it's been dark three times since he got here and yes, he's seen the bad ones a few times, mostly on their search for him, but he's never seen Pan or where they are living. Robin, of course, praises his hiding skills and seems immensely proud that he's taught him so well. And he's also immensely proud of his son.

"But I wasn't good, because Regina finds me" Roland's sandwiched between the two adults around their new campfire, this one only burning already because their hike yesterday had tired them out so much they nearly didn't have one at all, had Emma and Regina not argued over who's going to magick one. Emma had won in the end, but that was mostly to do with both father and son distracting Regina from the discussion.

"No my boy. You weren't good then, you were great" Robin's ruffling his son's hair affectionately and Regina can't hide the smile at the boy's awed face.

"I was?" He's looking from Robin to Regina in a perfect impression of a tennis match. Big, round eyes widening even more when they both nod at him. Even the rest of their group is watching the exchange and by now no one is surprised at Regina's reaction to the both of them anymore.

"How else would you have found the incredible woman who's been looking after you?" Another brush through curly hair Robin's smiling at the woman beside him. For her part, Regina doesn't know what to say. "And the others of course" He adds a little sheepishly. He only breaks eye contact though when Mary Margaret lets out a short laugh.

"No, that's okay" No one's actually mad that he seems to have forgotten they existed. "Regina did most of the work"

When they go to sleep that night, it's with Roland snuggled between them again and the adults continuing their hushed, late-night conversation they've carried over the last two nights.

They break camp so early the next morning that they don't even bother waking Roland but rather Robin and Regina take it in turns to carry the sleeping boy for at least another hour or two. After, he makes his way through their group, badgering them with questions again. Regina interferes only once when he bluntly asks Tinkerbell why she doesn't like Regina. And when he's bored an hour later, they entertain him by swinging his arms in between them, every few steps lifting him off the ground.

As much as she tries to, she can't pretend not to notice Tinkerbell's glances and stares. Once she even thinks the fairy is checking him out and though she has no right or reason to be jealous, Regina knows it's exactly what she's feeling.

Ever since they found her, Regina and Tinkerbell had spoken the bare necessities and refused to tell about their past, and avoided each other completely. The looks the fairy is shooting a family Regina doesn't even have a claim over anger her irrationally still. It had started just a few hours ago, when Tinkerbell led Robin, David and Neal to a nearby stream they were passing, to fill their water bottles. And while she knows she shouldn't, she really wants to know what had happened then. 

#

Roland's the first to complain that he's hungry several hours later and after much agreement, they decide this is as good a place as any to make camp. It's not dark yet, not for a while, but they are exhausted and hungry and in need of a pause to hash out more plans. There are trees to shelter them from possible weather and attacks and there's another stream nearby. Tinkerbell says it's good for cleaning up. And when they decided that this is exactly what we're going to do, Roland drags his father over, grabs Regina's hand, too, and starts moving in the direction Tink is already heading. 

"Ah, son" Robin scoops the enthusiastic boy into his arms a step later. "Why don't we give Regina some privacy?" He couldn't tell who's more relieved by that suggestion. That friendship would turn really awkward, really fast and he hasn't even kissed her yet. The thought startles him because, yes, he'd like to, but where had that come from just now?

Regina pulls him put off his thoughts by the laugh about the pout on Roland's face. Then she leans way too close for where his mind had just gone and presses a kiss to the boy's cheek. Somehow he thinks he might be jealous of his own four-year-old son.

"I will be back before you even miss me" That earns her a big smile, the pout so far gone like it's never been there in the first place. Little hands grab lightly onto her face as he holds her in place and presses a sloppy kiss onto her smiling lips. And yes, now, Robin is definitively jealous.

As much as she loves the boy, as Regina follows behind Emma, Mary Margaret and Tinkerbell, she's extremely glad for Robin's interference. She's not going to be bathing naked in a probably freezing stream in the middle of a strange, magical island, but even she is aware by now, that if she'd let it, the thing between her and Robin will be turning into more than the friendship they have now. There's just no way would let it, if they started awkwardly avoiding each other's gazes while trying to clean themselves up in less clothing than they had seen each other in until now. It's not a decision to pursue a relationship, but the decision to at least, maybe, keep her options open still. At least that's what she's trying to tell herself.

The water is a surprisingly agreeable temperature, but she's still not as adventurous as Emma and Mary Margaret, who'd she a lot more clothing, on the other end of the little clearing.

"So, what's going on between you and Robin?" Regina tries not to let show that the intrusion had startled her. She thinks she's failed. 

"I thought we don't talk" She doesn't even turn around, only continues to scoop up handfuls of water to scrub at the dirt caked to her skin for way too long already. As much as she hated their journey here on the Jolly Rodger, at least on the bloody ship she'd had access to water regularly. 

"We don't" Comes from behind her and Regina can almost the shrugging of shoulders. 

"Funny" Regina finally turns with an annoyed eye roll. "This feels pretty much like we do" 

"Consider this an exception" Tinkerbell is leaning against a tree a step or two away, arms casually crossed in front of her chest. "So, what is it with you and the thief?" The eyebrow raised in question earns another roll of Regina's eyes.

"None of your business, that's what it is" She gets back to washing up, because this is stupid. And not even necessarily because it's Tinkerbell she's that conversation with.

"The sooner you answer my question, the sooner this is over" She can't see it, but Regina's pretty sure there's a smirk on her face.

She whirls around, the look on her face enough to make anyone cower back in fear. Tinkerbell isn't impressed in the slightest. "We're friends, okay. Does that answer your question?" 

"You sure there's nothing more?" Why does that damn fairy sound so excited? 

"I know him for roughly a week"

"That is not a denial" Regina is aware of that, too.

"We're done here" She ignores the huff of frustration she hears and makes to wait for the others. Roland won't probably be too pleased to find that he has to go clean up, too (without Regina), so she wants to head back as soon as possible. 

#

Tinkerbell and I used to be friends" Regina tries easing into a topic she has no business prying into. 

Roland is asleep a few feet away, the rest of their camp is about to retreat to their bedrolls, too. With a concrete plan of action for the next day and the night surrounding them, Regina feels safe to broach the subject that had rather irrationally been bothering her during the day. 

"What happened?" And it's the first time any of them asked her that without the underlying accusation of 'what have you done?'.

"I'll tell you" She promises because she wants to. "But not right now" He doesn't push.

"Do you know what's her deal then?" Her head sinks against his shoulder and he finds he rather likes the closeness she's willing to share even without his son around. "What's with all those looks?"

Regina has to bite back a laugh at that and she only does so for the sleeping Roland. "I was really hoping you could tell me that" So whatever happened at the stream earlier had not happened between them. Not that it makes her less curious, but it definitively makes her less jealous. As if he can sense what's going on inside her head and heart, he takes her hand in his and laces their fingers together loosely. 

There is a brief, very brief, moment in which Regina thinks about pulling away. Because this is intimacy without Roland in the middle as an excuse for touching each other. Then she herself registers her head on his shoulder, something that hasn't happened without the toddler sprawled sleeping across them either, and she thinks maybe that ship has sailed.

It has been a long time, since Regina had felt comfortable enough in a man's presence that she actually wants to be there and, somehow, Robin had managed that from the very first moment they've met. She should be scared, she is, for the last time it happened had ended in heartbreak, death and a revenge wish she's not proud of today. She also doesn't believe, yet, that she deserves the second chance the man sitting next to her seems to be readily providing. But for the first time in that long time, she makes the conscious decision to listen to her heart and hopes she might end up happy instead of broken and desperate for vengeance.

So she reaches up and places a soft kiss on his cheek. It's both a 'thank you' and an indication that she's okay with wherever this thing between them may lead. He kisses the top of her head, understanding, and puts an arm around her shoulders to pull her in a bit closer. 

They sit like that for a while, not talking, enjoying the comfortable silence spreading between them. Despite all their long talks, there's still a lot he doesn't know about her, as she's sure there is the other way round. She could tell him some of that now, but she doesn't want to ruin neither the mood nor the chance of him actually liking her.

She almost nods off twice when she shifts her hold on his fingers, tracing patterns across his palm instead, and finally speaks. "She lost her wings because of me" And she's not proud of that either.

"What happened?" He asks again, and again there's no accusation, only curiosity. Even now, that he knows that it was really her fault the two women are at odds. 

"She saved my life when I was in a really dark place" Her voice is quiet, barely comes to his ears, but she doesn't want anyone else to hear that story, or to hear that she is even telling it. He listens to every word she says, doesn't interrupt, doesn't question or judge.

Mainly because it's not his place (God knows he's done some questionable things as a thief, too), but also because he simply doesn't want to. He might have had the occasional indirect run-in with the Evil Queen way back, but the first time he came face to face with the woman, she's been Regina and all of the things people would tell him the Evil Queen isn't capable of - kind, loving, motherly and good. Robin's ears pick up a little as she mentions she's supposed to have a Soulmate out there somewhere and she's so wrapped up in her storytelling (in the fact that she is even telling anything at all) that she doesn't notice him tense under her questing fingertips. They are unconsciously traveling ever farther towards uncovering a tattoo that looks a lot like the one she's just been describing. 

And it's not like he plans to keep that knowledge from her forever, now that he knows about it. It's just that they have become so close and comfortable and maybe even already more than friends and he can tell the Soulmate thing still frightens her. He doesn't want to scare her off, would really much like to keep her around for a very long time if she's willing, but she probably won't if he springs that tattoo on her now. He needs to know where they stand first, because when she already has those romantic feelings for him, then maybe she won't pull away when she finds out that it's him she's destined to be with. And that the universe seems to not hate her quite as much as she thinks it does. 

For tonight, he only laces their fingers back together to stop her's from moving and pulls her even closer. They talk for a little while longer before falling asleep, and when they wake up a few hours later, it's in the same position except for Roland who's migrated across their laps again sometime during the night.

#

The next day, they almost rescue Henry. Only that they are fighting an army psychotic little brats (Hook's words) that don't seem to be impressed with magic fireballs nor perfect marksmanship with a bow and arrow. Pan and, in addition to that Henry, are nowhere to be found. 

"Coward" is what Hook calls him when they realize the fact. They all know it's not true either; if he's no here fighting then he's somewhere doing something far worse. 

Despite being outnumbered still, they are faring a lot better than last time and with no one actively going after only Roland and with Robin at her back as protection, Regina is able to help way better. Nevertheless, they retreat fairly quickly after finding Henry is gone. They need a new plan, all their strength, and possibly no injuries for that.

Regina grabs onto Robin and transports the three of them to where they had agreed to set a new camp earlier. When the others join them, Robin is already refusing Regina's help at the campfire with the fireball she's produced for Roland's entertainment once again.

The rest of the day is spent coming up with another way to save Henry, the main objective being to find a way to find him first. 

Finding their camp had been relatively easy once they had Tinkerbell for help. But the fairy had known where to go then and as good as she is with orienting herself on here, that doesn't help when they don't know where they are even going. There are spells and potions for that kind of thing, sure, but in the middle of nowhere with nothing around to mix or do them with, this is another dead end.

They've come up with exactly nothing when the sun starts to set.

#

He kisses her that night.

She's frustrated and sad and angry and the only thing able to calm her down seems to be Roland. The boy hasn't so much as left her side ever since he climbed onto her back just before the fight. Robin had used every opportunity he's gotten to help her, but while it certainly had some effect, nothing seems to relax her quite as much as the wet kisses a four-year-old is peppering all over her face at the moment. It even makes her laugh.

But when Roland is asleep next to her a few hours later and she's not nearly calm enough to get some sleep of her own, he leaves the rest of them sitting around the fire. Robin leads her just far enough away that they can still keep a watchful eye on Roland. 

They sit down against a large rock and he puts his arm around her while still tightly holding onto her hand. 

And then he waits.

Waits for her to start the conversation. He doesn't ask stupid questions, doesn't want to know what's wrong or what's bothering her. Because it's plain obvious. He doesn't want to rush her into anything, however. If she feels more comfortable not talking about it, she doesn't have to. Still, he's here if she does want to. 

It takes a while for her to talk and Robin almost thinks she's fallen asleep finally. It is, after maybe opening up, the next best thing he wants for her. Then he hears he sigh, feels her shift. 

"I'm scared, Robin" It's a testament to how close they've become in that short amount of time they've known each other, because that's something she wouldn't willingly share with anyone else than him. "Scared that we won't find Henry or that we won't get there in time"

"We'll save him, I promise. And" He adds when she opens her mouth in protest "for the unlikely situation, that we don't, I will personally make sure, Pan is going to pay for it dearly" She wants to say 'thank you' but she's so touched by his words that she can't say anything at all for a few moments. She kisses his cheek in a gesture of what she can't say in words right now and he understands perfectly. 

"I lost every person I've loved in the past. I can't lose Henry, too" She whispers after another few minutes of silence. "What if the universe is trying to tell me something? What if I'm truly not meant to have my own happy ending?" She sounds so miserable, his heart breaks with her.

He pulls her impossibly closer into his side and takes a deep breath. He wasn't going to do this tonight, but... "You look like you could use some good news"

For a moment she thinks it's just a way for him to make her laugh and it almost works. When she looks up at him and sees his serious expression, she bites it back and, with a curious raise of her brow, mentions for him to go on. 

"I have one question first and I need you to please answer me honestly" She's intrigued enough that she nods in agreement without hesitation. "Do you have feelings for me?" 

Her eyes widen, more in surprise than shock really, and she sits up a bit straighter. She's not necessarily pulling away but he can see the struggle behind her beautiful eyes. 

"I don't need you to profess your undying love for me, but I don't want to scare you off with what I'm about to show you" 

She does let out a little laugh at that then, but she's not pulling away (yet). 

"And you think that question wouldn't?" 

"Not as much probably" He confesses, placing a kiss into her hair just out of fear it could be the last one. "So, how do you feel about me? Do you see us being more than friends? Would you want us to be?" 

The "Yes" slips out without her permission. It's been the first thing on her mind because it's true, but despite all their talks and what she told him already, that is a bit more open than she normally is comfortable being with. She doesn't take it back though. 

"What I'm about to show you won't bring back your son, but if I'm right, I hope it shows you that the universe is not conspiring against your happiness" Robin squeezes their joined hands in encouragement and then extricates his fingers and pushes up the sleeve of his shirt. 

She stares at it for so long that Robin fears he's broken her completely. But at least he knows now he's right. The tattoo she's described last night is the same one inked into the skin on his forearm. He's just not sure yet if he's made the right decision in showing her. 

Regina's first instinct is to run. The man next to her, the one she's shared parts of her life with over the last few days, is him. Her Soulmate. The one she's been too afraid to meet decades ago, instead choosing hatred and vengeance over potentially being happy. She's messed this up once, depriving both of them of years of happiness, so why should this be any different?

This time though, she's already in love with him. (She would only later fully realize what she's just been thinking). This time, she is no young woman too afraid to meet the man she's destined to be with, too afraid to not meet her own expectations or his. Knowing they were supposed to be together, that he was her happy ending, had put so much pressure on her back then that she opted for not meeting him at all. She's not lucky in love and relationships and she was going to mess this up anyways, so she took the imminent heartache of going back to her life with a man she didn't love over the eventual one when her Soulmate would realize she's not worth all the trouble. And what if she would have been the one so broken still from Daniel's death that she just couldn't love anyone else - ever. 

But now, she knows him. She's grown close to him and fell in love with him without knowing she's supposed to. She thinks that might be the one thing that makes the difference here. And he already knows so much about her, knows the bad things she's done only after their non-meeting way back, but he's still here. He doesn't judge her. He doesn't hate her even though he has every right to. 

He believes in her and she thinks, maybe it's time she started believing in herself, too. 

"I'm not running" It's probably not the heartfelt answer he's been expecting, he deserves, but she isn't capable of more. She tries a smile that reaches her eyes with no effort at all. 

"Is that because you want to or because you think you're supposed to?" And damn, how does this man know her so well already. 

"No" she answers, her fingers tracing over the ink on his arm like she did his palm yesterday. "I want to stay right where I am"

"So if I were to kiss you now, would that still hold true?" 

"I suppose there's only one way to find that out for sure" 

Then he kisses her, and it's not much, just a tentative, soft meeting of lips, but she feels like her whole body is on fire and for the briefest moment she thinks, that if this is what it feels like to kiss your Soulmate, she would have done that decades ago. He pulls back way too soon for her liking and there's the tiniest hint of insecurity lacing her thoughts. What if, for him, that kiss hadn't felt like it did for her? Would he tell her they are better off as friends now that he got a taste and didn't like it?

But when she finally opens her eyes, and she can't for the life of her remember closing them in the first place, there is a bright smile on his face. She takes it as the invitation it is and leans back in, assuring him that, yes, she felt it, too and no, she's still not running. She parts her lips just enough for him to take the hint and he does, deepening their kiss. 

She'd have thought their first kiss would be a messy and awkward affair - all teeth and tongue and hands roaming, an act of frustration about their situation felt from both sides but neither actually brave enough to address their blossoming feelings in words beforehand. This is nothing of the sort. This is slow and gentle; one of her hands is still intertwined with his, the other is sifting through the hairs at the back of his neck. She vaguely registers his hand splayed over her heart, pressed in between their bodies, though it's becoming increasingly difficult to think any straight thought at all. 

She moans into the kiss, shifting closer and that's when they hear the subtle noise from over by the campfire. Whoever's still been awake seems to finally be uncomfortable enough to make his way out off their line of sight and shit, yea, they are not alone. She's been aware of Roland, yes, but Robin had, for a few blissful moments, managed to make her forget that this isn't a peaceful family outing between the three of them. Henry's been in the back of her mind, too, of course, but she's almost ashamed to admit that he's made her forget why the boy isn't here right now. 

And when that knowledge returns, it's not as crushing as it had been just hours ago, because now she has hope. Robin has given her that by simply being the man she always thought the universe had, in it's sick, twisted way, dangled in front of her face and then taken away from her forever. But when it seems there is even hope for her, then there certainly is for Henry. 

She sleeps cuddled up around Roland that night, Robin on her other side, with an arm around her waist and a hand on his son's back. And just before they fall asleep he kisses her again, just because he can now. 

#

Regina corners Tinkerbell very early the next day. She hasn't slept nearly enough, but waking up with Roland in her arms, Robin's around her, made up for that a great deal. She feels more awake and relaxed she's had in a while. And happy. Happy enough even, that she kisses him in front of everyone when he takes his son to gather some more branches to stock up their campfire again to produce some breakfast. The looks and stares and that damned smirk Mary Margaret is sporting are steadfastly ignored. 

It's during preparation of said breakfast that she finds the fairy off to the side, boiling up what Regina knows to be some semblance of coffee (It's not that bad, but Regina prefers the real thing and even more preferably from her expensive coffee machine back home). Regina sends Roland over to his father (no matter how many years he's lived like that, she's still not comfortable with a four-year-old unattended around an open fire) and approaches the blonde.

"You've seen it, haven't you?" Suddenly, this morning it had been so clear what had happened with Robin and Tinkerbell at the stream. It also answers why she had been so interested in where Robin and Regina stand in their relationship. 

"I thought we don't talk" It's not nearly as hostile as Regina had been, even though she has every right to be - and then some. 

Regina rolls her eyes at that but her voice holds an actual laugh when she says "I guess I deserve that" 

It's not the words but the tone that makes Tinkerbell finally turn around. "You seem different"

"I like to think I am" And not only since yesterday, but she's really tried her best to not be her evil self for the last few months. "You knew, didn't you?"

"Yes" Tinkerbell answers eventually. "I just wasn't sure if you did" 

"Why didn't you say anything?" She had already been prying into stuff that was none of her business, she could have easily added that to the list. 

Tink scoffs at that but her tone is still light and almost teasing "Because the last time I did you managed to screw this up so entirely that I ended up as a very poor excuse for a fairy and no wings" 

"I don't think I ever actually apologized for that" Regina studies her hands for several seconds and then looks back up into Tinkerbell's eyes. "I'm sorry. I really am"

"You really are different" Tinkerbell is stunned, to say the least. The last time she's seen Regina had ended in them hating each other, throwing away a great friendship because Regina had been bitter about her past and her heart, it seemed, already touched by the darkness that was later overtaking her completely. The last thing she's ever imagined had been Regina sincerely apologizing for what she's done back then - or that she herself would so readily accept said apology. But here they are and Tinkerbell has a feeling she won't be regretting it this time. 

"Thank you" Relieve isn't a strong enough word to describe what Regina is feeling. It had been a spur of the moment thing, talking and apologizing to Tinkerbell and she didn't think it would be that easy, but she's glad for it now. 

"And for the record," Tink says with a wink, just before Regina is about to turn around and join Robin and Roland over by the fire "I would have pushed more, but I might have overheard you tell him our story and decided to hope that means you're giving him a chance this time" 

"You want to know why I did?" They've come this far this morning, so why not try and test the shaky boundaries and see if this could turn back into some kind of real friendship. 

"Yes" If nothing else, Tinkerbell thinks she owes her this.

"Because this time, I didn't know who he was before I fell in love with him" There's an almost dreamy smile on the former Evil Queen's lips and Tinkerbell is sure she hasn't realized what she just said. 

She debates for a quick minute the pros and cons of actually telling Regina what she's just admitted, but when she opens her mouth, she says "He's staring" She laughs when he turns back to his son after being caught. "Go join your family"

She does, but not before giving Tinkerbell a tentative smile, indicating that, if she's willing to forgive her, Regina would really much like to try to get back to being friends some day. 

#

Breakfast is spent with little Roland on her lap, stealing bites from both her and Robin's plates when the adults are preoccupied; Robin's arm around her wait without the pretense of his son's benefit; and conversation pleasant enough between Regina and Tinkerbell that Mary Margaret narrows her eyes suspiciously more time than she isn't. It's the smile on Tinkerbell's lips after one of Regina's comments that makes her finally say something. 

"What's going on here?" She ignores her husband's eye roll and purposefully motions between Regina and Tinkerbell. The cozy scene next to her is worth a talk, too, but probably not that question. No blind man would miss the obvious here. 

"We talked" That's all the information Regina is willing to provide and the fairy doesn't seem all that eager to jump in also. She senses the questioning look from right beside her though and, with a quick look at Tinkerbell she turns to him "I'll tell you later" 

"Oh, come on. Why does he get to know?" Mary Margaret almost whines, a little pout making its way onto her face. It's not like they are close and sharing personal stuff, but they used to be and, after really trying to forgive Regina, she had hoped maybe they could be again. 

"Boyfriend privileges" Hook says with a smirk and Regina blushes this time. She's kissed him and hugged him and she's almost in his lap right this moment and all this without the faintest hint of embarrassment. But no one had actually used that word before. She finds she likes it. Quite a lot. 

Then Roland scrambles to his knees, almost sending three sets of plates and mugs flying if not for Robin and Neal's quick reflexes. Regina is holding onto his waist to keep the boy steady. He reaches up to her ear and not quite whispers "So I can go play with Tink now?" With a laugh from all around the fire, Regina ruffles his unruly curls affectionately. 

"Yes, honey, you can do that now" She hasn't missed the way Roland had taken a shine to the fairy from the moment he's met her. Once or twice he'd almost made his way over to her but had changed his mind last minute, obviously for Regina's benefit. They'd never explicitly forbidden him to talk to her, but Regina's found relatively early that the boy's just as loyal as his father. 

"Don't think we won't be having a conversation about this, too" Mary Margaret says with a laugh still, this time meaning the two adults squishing an amused and squirmy toddler with hugs and kisses. 

Regina rolls her eyes, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't see this coming. "Can I maybe enjoy this for more than eight hours before you start analyzing it?" It's a friendly jab and she thinks that maybe, not counting the circumstances in which they found themselves here, this time away from Storybrooke is just what they needed to move forward. 

#

The only reason they break camp after breakfast is that they don't want to risk staying in the same place for too long a time. They still don't have a plan or a direction to go on but still, they pack up and move on somewhere. Even if it's just a few hours away to set up camp once more and take the time to plan and maybe hopefully, finally come up with something that will help at least some. 

Roland is dangling face down from his father's back about an hour into their hike when he calls for Regina to 'rescue' him. She bends down and smooths through his curls before hoisting him into her own arms, right side up, and planting kisses all over his face. 

"I hate to inform you of that fact" she starts, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "but it seems your son likes me better than you" Almost as if in confirmation Roland kisses her cheek and makes himself comfortable in her arms. 

"And I cannot fault him for that, milady" 

Robin bends over to kiss her which is incredibly awkward because of the boy hanging from her neck and because they are still walking. She threads one hand through his hair anyway to keep him closer for just a moment longer. They are alone at the back of the group and she intents to take advantage of that when the opportunity arises. 

"Eww" They pull apart fast at the exclamation. 

Roland's nose is scrunched up at the action he just witnessed but it doesn't seem like he's really upset. And they suddenly remember that neither of them had actually talked to the boy about this. It had progressed so naturally since the moment he'd kissed her (from the very beginning really) that they just forgot. 

Yes, Roland had been the one pushing for Regina to stay with him and Papa. But that was days ago, hen he was too scared to be around anyone else than her and, more importantly, before they had found his father. This could have easily changed in the meantime and, even if it didn't, it doesn't mean that he meant this - them being a family. He loves her, she knows that; he's told her that. That doesn't change the fact that they need to at least try to have that conversation with the toddler. 

He rakes a hand through his hair, heaves an almost inaudible sigh and then Robin turns serious eyes on his son. "Son, do you remember when you asked Regina to stay with you and Papa?" She's told him that on the first night and even though he hadn't admitted any romantic interest in her to himself yet, he almost kissed her that night just for so readily agreeing to take in his son should they never find each other. "Would you still want that?" 

"Yes" At the boy's enthusiastic reply both of the adults lean forward to press a kiss to his little cheeks. Then, there's a frown, and "You do that all the time now?" He asks, obviously referring to the kiss he had witnessed. "Like Snow and David?" He's the only one calling her Snow, but Mary Margaret is a bit much for him, still. 

With a laugh and an amused glance at the couple in question, Regina promises "We try to do that mostly when you're not looking, how's that?" 

"That's okay" He shrugs his little shoulders and effortlessly changes the subject. "You be like my mama?"

And shit, that one question almost makes her cry. How can that boy be only four years old and still be so perceptive? He might not remember his mother but he remembers the idea of her. So Regina has no intention to be the woman, to replace his mother, but yes, she has every intention of being like one if he'll let her. 

"If you want me to" She answers after a look shared with Robin to see if this is okay with him, too. 

More enthusiastic agreement in the form of several nods and a "Yes" and then "So you come with us? And Henry, too? I have a brother?" 

They haven't really (at all) discussed that. The only thing that had been clear was that wherever they ended up, they were going there together. 

"Why don't you do and ask Snow and David a few things about kissing while your Papa and I are trying to figure that out?" She plans to have a lot of fun with that little tidbit of information. With a quick glance at his father, the boy hops out off Regina's arms and is off embarrassing the prince and princess. 

Robin takes her hand in his, intertwining their fingers like it's second nature and they watch Roland for a minute or two in comfortable silence. 

"I know you won't leave Henry" His voice is quiet so even though they are a few paces behind the others there's no way they would hear this conversation. "And I know you can't take him away from Emma" 

"I can't ask you to give up your whole life and your friends for me, Robin" She would try everything in her power to find a way to take him back to where he belongs.

"Then don't" He answers simply, kissing her once when she tries to protest. "You are forgetting the most important thing here, my love"

"Yea? And what would that be?" Her voice has taken on a sentimental note at the endearment, but no matter where they are right now (namely discussing future living arrangements and family about fifteen hours after heir first kiss), she's not ready to acknowledge that word.

"I came here with the full knowledge that I will almost positively not make it back home" He pauses for a moment, squeezes their joined hands, steals another kiss or two. "And that was before I knew I wouldn't even want to" 

She's about to turn around and fully kiss him when a tiny body crashes into her legs. "Tink says to hurry up, we make camp behind that trees" He dutifully recites. 

Robin scoops him up so he won't run off in all his excitement. "So, what do you say we go with Regina and Henry to a whole new world?" 

Roland seems to be thinking this over for a quick, serious moment, before nodding his head "That's okay, too" "You do know that we still have a teenager to get on board with this, right?" She's smiling though, and when Roland closes his eyes on his father's chest she does steal that kiss after all. 

"Oh do not worry, milady" Robin answers in good-natured fun. "If he's anything like his mother, my little boy will have him wrapped around his little fingers in no time"

#

They should be gathering berries and whatever else edible - they did - until they realized that for the first time since they met, they are completely alone. 

Roland is teaching Tinkerbell how to build a proper fire (she knows how to and he obviously doesn't get to light an actual fire) and it's been so cute and sweet and innocent that neither Robin nor Regina had the heart to drag him away to go searching the nearby forest. The boy's been oddly okay with it, hugging them both and have them promise not to be gone too long. His attention then quickly wandered back to his very important task. Tinkerbell had only laughed at Regina's slight pout at being so easily dismissed. 

So they set off, not far, just enough that they were actually alone, into where the trees are a bit denser and there are bushes spread about in little clusters. Robin takes great pleasure in teaching her how to identify unknown edible from poisonous berries and Regina enjoys it way more than she thought she would. 

They've gathered quite enough to make an actual dinner out of it with their meager left-over supplies when he stumbles onto something he recognizes. He gathers a handful or two, drops them in his satchel, then plugs a few more and makes his way over to Regina. He smiles against her shoulder when she immediately relaxes into his arms around her waist. 

"Close your eyes" Robin whispers in her ear, hot breath against her skin, and she does so without hesitation. Her lips part when she feels his fingers lightly press something small and soft against them and she really should be more careful, she knows, but she also trusts him. With all her heart. And probably her life, too. 

Her eyes pop back open in an instant and she turns in his arms at the first taste on her tongue. It's been nearly thirty years since she last had one of these and she could have sworn they were an Enchanted Forest exclusive fruit. All her efforts to find them in Storybrooke, that one bush that's maybe been brought over with her course, had failed. 

"They used to be my favorite" She tells him.

"You see, that's just another sign from the universe that it hasn't abandoned you" His blue eyes catch her's in an intense look she would have averted her gaze from only yesterday. Today, she reaches up to kiss him. It's chaste, not meant to be more than a show of how much she appreciates when he says things like that. 

And then her back is against the nearest tree, their satchels and the few lose berries he's been holding forgotten somewhere by their feet, and his tongue is in her mouth and she's pulling him into her more firmly. Because they can. They are alone, no one is there to see them or disturb them. No one they have to be considerate of. It's just the two of them and from the way he feels so good pressed against her, she prays it's going to be just the two of them for a long while still. 

She slides her hands under his jacket, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt while he tugs her blouse out of her pants to feel her bare skin under his fingertips. She shivers at his touch even though his fingers make her already heated skin burn deliciously. 

They break their kiss when they need to breathe, and then only reluctantly so. Robin wastes no time though, buries his head in the crook of her neck and licks, sucks, bites the skin there. His hands travel up and down her sides, over her back, skimming the sides of her breasts and Regina throws her head back as far as the tree at her back allows and lets out a moan that almost turns into a strangled cry when he catches her skin between his teeth again. 

The smug bastard is chuckling into her neck, so she changes course, hands fisting in his hair instead, hooks a leg around his and pulls him even more into her. She feels his groan vibrate through her entire body, screws her eyes shut in pleasure, and yea, that backfired, because she's grinding against him now. She wants him, all of him, so bad right now. 

But they can't. 

Not here, not now. Not when they are technically supposed to be doing something completely different and should probably be back by now. 

"Robin" she whispers his name on her next shaky exhale and gently pries his face out of her cleavage.

"I know" His forehead rests against hers and he's breathing heavily; they both are. 

They stay like that for a while, catching their breaths. When she feels steady enough on her feet, she lowers her leg back down onto the ground and he moves just so slightly that their lower bodies aren't pressing her into the tree anymore. She just so manages to hold back the whine at the loss of contact, the sound he's not able to hold back sounds suspiciously like one, too, but it's for the best. 

Regina is not technically opposed to this, but she's barely come to terms with what he means to her, what she means to him, and so while she'd prefer a slow and sensual night in her own bed, she doesn't need it for their first time. There will be so much more of those to come she's sure. A rushed quickie in the forest of an island she wants to get the hell off of is not the memory she wants with him, though. 

After another silence in which she gets lost in his eyes and the love and affection she sees there, she asks him. "What do you see in me?" It's the question she wants to ask him ever since the moment they met and he'd come to her instead of pulling away. 

"Hopefully the same thing you see in me" He tells her without missing a beat. "A second chance" Blue eyes are staring intently into brown ones, conveying just how serious he is. "You are beautiful and smart and kind and good and don't let anybody let you doubt that ever again." Then he smirks and takes the seriousness effectively out of the conversation. "And you're quite a good kisser" It gets the desired effect when she laughs and leans forward to kiss him as if to prove just how good of one she is. 

When they come back to camp it's to a very happy Roland going on about how helpful he's been in their absence and a good amount of knowing looks. 

But nobody dares say anything until Emma leans into Regina, pointedly trailing her eyes over her neck, and whispers "So, I guess finding berries has not been the hardest thing out there" And there's a damned smirk on the blonde's face as Regina almost dies right on the spot. 

Yes, those are definitively teeth marks on her neck where neither her blouse nor jacket will reach to cover. 

#

Help finds them that night, surprisingly in the form of Gold. Rather unsurprisingly, however, he sneaks into camp in the middle of the night to try and lure Regina away. He stops short when he finds her wrapped around a little boy and the thief he's tortured in his dungeon once. David, who's been on lookout, spots him then and though he could easily just leave, he doesn't. He knows where Pan has his grandson, but loath as he is to admit it, he needs help getting there and probably after, too. He's still hoping for Regina, she's really the only one he needs, but she tells him in no uncertain terms to go to hell. If he wants help, he'll have to take all of them or they would find another way to find Henry. 

She also won't use dark magic unless she'll have to actively defend anyone she cares about. And it kind of startles her, that she's including all of their group into this. 

Gold's not happy about it and the rest o them are not happy with his involvement, but Robin is the voice of reason. He doesn't know Gold, only had unpleasant encounters with Rumplestilskin, but Regina changed, so who is he not to give Gold the benefit of the doubt here? No one's really sure about this and Regina keeps Roland carefully out of the curious newcomer's sight and reach, until they eventually come to an agreement. This is not for them and nobody has to like it so long as they can work together. For Henry. 

They pack up and move on right away now that they have another clear destination and luckily Roland is back asleep before he can witness Regina and Gold fighting over him. 

"We are not taking the boy" It's so matter-of-fact that it takes her back just long enough for him to already have turned around and started to walk away before she can utter a reply. 

"Excuse me? Of course we are" He stops and turns around, rolling his eyes at the obvious anger rolling off of her in waves. 

"I don't have time to look after a child" 

"Luckily for you, you won't have to" She takes a step towards him shielding Robin and Roland from his view. "What do you suggest we do, then?" She asks when she sees him trying to protest. 

"I don't know, hide him here until we're done." He shrugs his shoulders non-committally. "I don't care, but he's not coming with us" If he thinks jus because she's not evil anymore she won't fight him on this, he's dead wrong.

"We are not going to leave Roland out here where we might not even find him again" It's her final word, anger radiating off of her so obvious, no one dares to get in between this conversation. 

"More room on the ride home then" Gold remarks with another shrug of his shoulders, turning back around to lad the way. 

"You did not just say that" She almost growls, hands flexing dangerously at her sides and six people are readying themselves to possibly risk their lives breaking up this fight. Before the first fireball is sparkling across her palm though, Robin has all but shoved Roland into her chest, his arms circling around her waist with the boy between them. He kisses her cheek when she inhales the boy's curls and relaxes almost instantly. 

"So much for not being the Evil Queen, huh?" Gold sneers behind Robin's back, but neither of them can even say anything before Emma speaks up. 

"She told you she's going to protect him. And I, for one am glad she did" Try as she might, Regina can't even begin to put into words how much she appreciates this and the all-around agreement. 

**Author's Note:**

> It took a lot of overthinking to go the way I did here with the friendship/relationship progression because I do love their interactions during the missing year and before they got together. But this is a different Regina than the one we see on the show when she and Robin first meet and I loved the idea of exploring this route instead of the slow progression.


End file.
